Embodiments described herein relate generally to passenger seats for vehicles, and more particularly, to interchangeable passenger seats having differing restraining assemblies.
In buses and other heavy vehicles, passive restraint assemblies are commonly used. Passive restraint assemblies are restraints which do not positively restrain the occupant, but which impede the motion of the occupant within a compartment or space.
Recently, three-point belt assemblies have become more commonly incorporated on buses and other heavy vehicles. Three-point seat belt assemblies combine a lap belt and an upper torso belt. In these assemblies, the tongue is swung across the person and is engaged with a buckle affixed to the seat to position one portion of the belt across the lap and another portion of the belt across the upper torso.
In addition to passive restraint and three-point assemblies, a third type of assembly called “Integrated Child Restraint” is also being incorporated on buses. The integrated child restraint assembly typically includes a vehicle seat, a portion of which is pivotable to reveal a child seat contained within the seat.
Since a bus or other vehicle may transport passengers having differing demographics throughout its service life, the types of passenger seats may be changed to accommodate the changing passengers. For example, a bus may include seats having the integrated child restraints if the bus transports young kids, while the same bus may later in its service life transport adults and the integrated child restraints may be replaced with three-point belt assemblies. Further, many buses that were built prior to introduction of the three-point and integrated child restrain assemblies currently have passive restraint assemblies. These buses may have seats to be changed to three-point belt assemblies or integrated child restraints.